1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to printing presses and, more particularly, to the adjustment of dies within a chase.
2. Description of the Related Art
The modern automatic platen press has not substantially changed since the introduction of this type of press in the early 1800's. Basically, a platen press positions a substrate or print media, such as paper, on a platen and brings the substrate into contact with a die or form to print an image on the media. In operation, a number of additional steps are also involved. Initially, the dies or forms for printing are set in a form which is secured to a back-plate to properly position the characters or images for printing. Ink is applied to the raised surface of dies or forms. These raised surfaces define the characters or image to be printed. Finally, the print media is placed on the platen, precisely aligned and brought into contact with the form or die containing the characters or image by movement of the platen toward the back-plate. As the print media is pressed between the platen and the raised surfaces of the dies or forms, the image or characters is transferred to the print media. The particular mechanisms to carry out the printing process may vary from press to press but the main components of the modern platen press are generally similar or analogous. Although, in theory, the process is relatively simple, the particular components required to carry out this process are relatively complex.
As mentioned above, the dies or forms containing the images or letters for printing are initially set in a chase or form which is secured to a back-plate to properly position the characters or images for printing. As with the overall character of the press, the methods for the precise positioning of dies and forms has also remained substantially unchanged. The dies are typically fitted within a chase or frame that is mounted to a back plate of a printing press. The die is then positioned at approximately the desired position. Furniture and coins are finally positioned around the die to bias the die within the chase. Once biased within the chase, the chase is fitted within the printing press and one or more samples are printed to gauge whether or not the die is in the proper position. If the die is properly positioned, the subject print job is commenced. If the die is not properly positioned, the chase must be removed and the die repositioned within the chase by the addition of furniture and/or the adjustment of the coins. The insertion and removal of the chase can be slow and labor intensive. Therefore, a need exists for an apparatus and methods that enable the adjustment of the position of the die within the chase without requiring removal of the chase from the press. Furthermore, the positioning of the die using furniture and coins can be cumbersome and typically requires skilled labor. Therefore, a need exists for an apparatus and methods that simplify the process of adjusting the position of the die within the chase. In addition, the positioning of the die using furniture and coins is inherently slow. Therefore, a need exists for an apparatus and methods that reduce the time required for positioning dies within a chase for printing.